Using the same technique, I made up the robe with two front pieces and a back in the same design. This meant I had to find something else to bind the front and, as luck would have it, some ribbon I inherited from my husband’s late Great Aunt (who also kept everything) was a perfect match

To make it slightly different and perhaps a bit more sophisticated for oldest daughter I ribbon topped the pockets (which I placed across the side seam at the hip instead of on the front) and added turn-up cuffs on the sleeve with a ribbon and button decoration, as well as the belt loops, belt and hanging thing at the neck.

Oldest daughter is a natural model! She too will be wearing this robe for years before she grows out of it – haven’t quoted Edward Lear yet….

On my way home through town I spotted some really lovely beach towels in a shop window. They were bright ice lolly colours and the summer motifs got my juices going. My daughters have both grown out of their towelling robes / dressing gowns recently and these seemed the perfect solution – bright and gorgeous and not too costly and, in my head at least, robes are only a series of rectangles…..

As I worked without a pattern I thought I’d try and show some sort of tutorial, so bear with me:

one bright stripe and two bright green towels 140 x 90 cms

Smallest daughter decided these mouthwatering brights were just her thing – the stripe is for the front and the green for the back and sleeves. The towels had fancy edges too, so the first thing I did was remove them for use as edgings.

I was working without a pattern, as I said, but I figured the front must be in two bits, so in half went the striped towel

I sewed these ‘fronts’ to a green ‘back’ at the shoulder, leaving a gap where I was going to make a V neck. I then guesstimated the armhole size and sewed up the sides. Because the towels were different, I decided that binding could bring it together – so I used the green towel’s edge to bind the front edges, creating the V at the same time.

binding the front edge

Next it was the sleeves. Another guess – though robe sleeves are just a rectangle on a drop shoulder – I inserted the sleeve and bound the raw cuff end with the multi-towel’s fancy edge.

bound cuff

The towels are pretty long, but I wanted to make sure youngest daughter had length as she gets taller (which happens daily…). So I folded a deep hem and sewed it on the machine.

ready to hem

I added a hanging tag at the neck, two pockets (made from patchworked stripey edge), belt loops, as well as a belt from leftover edging. Of course this also sports a Buntyboo brag label.

As you can see, youngest daughter will be wearing this robe until she’s 30, but I’m pleased with it and, more importantly, she loves it – though she’s already bored with people singing selections from ‘Joseph’ at her…. 😀